Verb
Definition: to have an intense dislike or hatred for
Synonyms: loath, abhor, despise, detest
Antonyms: relish, savor, esteem
Sentence: I abominate cruelty yet do not always notice when I have said something inadvertently cruel, for example, when I said, “I hate this guy.
ABOMINATE
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Adjective
Definition: resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital
Synonyms: extrinsic, incidental, fortuitous
Antonyms: essential, intrinsic, inherent, congenital
Sentence: It was no adventitious meeting that led to their writing songs together, for in fact, two members of the band Rascal Flatts are cousins so their meeting was not by chance, but by design.
ADVENTITIOUS
The band Rascal Flatts consists of cousins Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus, plus pal Joe Don Rooney.
Verb
Definition: to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute
Synonyms: impute, credit
Sentence: You may ascribe these holes in the yard to gophers or elves, but I give credit to the dog next door.
ASCRIBE
Verb
Definition: to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress
Synonyms: feel sorry for, empathize
Antonyms: feel no sympathy for
Sentence: The family commiserated with her over the loss of her loved one sharing her sorrow as each shared a memory.
COMMISERATE
Verb
Definition: to make easy, cause to progress faster
Synonyms: accelerate, facilitate, speed up
Antonyms: hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct
Sentence: Sending a package by FedEx might expedite its delivery because FedEx is known for faster delivery than the United States Postal Service.
EXPEDITE
Noun and Verb
Definition: (n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical reaction
Synonyms (n.) commotion, turmoil, unrest
Antonyms (n.) peace and quiet, tranquility
Sentence: Caught in the ferment of the revolution and the excitement of the founding of a new nation, the young man enlisted in the Minutemen.
FERMENT
Adjective
Definition: resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental
Synonyms: accidental
Antonyms: deliberate, intentional, premeditated
Sentence: Lack of attention to the loading of the plywood on the car resulted in an inadvertent crushing of the tires.
INADVERTENT
Adjective
Definition: existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously
Synonyms: token, trifling, inconsequential
Antonyms: real, actual, exorbitant, excessive
Sentence: The nominal growth in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product Index) reveals on a small change of 5.5% for the year 2008.
NOMINAL
Adjective
Definition: not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no.
Synonyms: uninformative, playing it safe, playing close to the vest
Antonyms: positive, definite, committed
Sentence: We questioned her quietly, carefully, and at length, but her answers remained noncommittal because she said she could not be decisive.
NONCOMMITTAL
Adjective
Definition: resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government
Synonyms: mutinous, rebellious, subversive
Antonyms: supportive, faithful, allegiant
Sentence: The seditious nature of the thirteen colonies resulted in the rebellion against Great Britain and the establishment of the United States of America.
SEDITIOUS
Don’t Tread on Me Flag from the Revolutionary War.
Verb
Definition: thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported
Syonyms: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy
Antonyms: strong, solid, substantial, valid
Sentence: My understanding of trigonometry was tenuous leaving me so vague on how to complete the problems that I was unable to do my homework.
TENUOUS